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Every day Gaddafi is brutalising his own people, time is of the essence
David Cameron
David Cameron has said the international community is running out of time to deal with Colonel Gaddafi.
In a statement to the House of Commons this afternoon the prime minister said Britain needed to "win the argument" for a "strong response" from the international community to the chaos in Libya.
In recent days Libyan rebel forces have been losing ground to those loyal to Gaddafi but it has been reported that the opposition has re-captured Brega, a key town on the road to the opposition stronghold of Benghazi.
Reporting back to MPs on last week's meeting of the EU Council, Cameron said all of Europe's leaders were "united" in their "crystal clear" determination that Gaddafi should relinquish power immediately.
But he appeared to concede that not everyone in Europe was as keen on a military response as he claims to be.
"The EU is not a military alliance and there is always hesitation in discussing military options," he said.
"Every day Gaddafi is brutalising his own people, time is of the essence."
He told MPs that to let Gaddafi crush the rebels would leave a "failed pariah state festering on our border".
British and French calls for a no-fly zone were boosted on Saturday when the plan was endorsed by the Arab League, giving much needed regional backing.
The prime minister said today that any no-fly zone would need "demonstrable need, regional support and a clear legal basis" and that NATO was working on a plan.
He said: "Along with others in the United Nations Security Council, the UK is following up urgently the lead given by the Arab League by drafting a resolution which sets out the next measures that need to be taken, including the option of a no-fly zone."
Cameron also said that 600 British nationals had been successfully evacuated from Libya since the crisis began, along with people from thirty other countries.
And he told MPs that 220 Britons remained in the country but the "overwhelming majority" of them were long term residents or held duel nationalities.
A number of Britons had contacted the government for the first time to request to be evacuated, he added.
Ed Miliband said maximum pressure must be put on the Libyan regime.
"In view of gravity and urgency of the situation, and to win greater support, the priority must be to translate the no-fly zone phrase in to practical plan," he said.
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